“Austin. First, I need you two to tell me everything you can remember about your encounters with her. Everything you’ve learned. In detail.”
Jax headed for the kitchen. “I’ll brew coffee.”
Liv and I told Summer the story three times and showed her the book Liv had risked her life and mine to recover. We made lists of everything pertinent we could remember or find. The sorceress was making her way down to Texas which interested Summer a lot.
“We need a bigger HQ. Fort Hood would be perfect. It could be a training center, safe haven, and deployment hub. And a town nearby is still intact, so we think she’ll hit there before Austin.”
I’d be sad to leave this new home behind, but she was right. It would be perfect. “You’re sure she’s headed to Austin?”
“Yes. The Uprising there discovered the lead monster called her in to help. Austin has one of our biggest cells and we can’t afford to lose it. But she’s taking her time with these small towns. It’s like she’s somehow found out about the few towns left alone and wants them obliterated. She doesn’t even try to force them into the cities. I guess she feels they didn’t kill enough humans when they came out of the shadows. Maybe she’s going for pure intimidation or scare tactics.”
“So, what’s the plan?”
Summer rubbed her temples. “Unfortunately, there’s not much we can do for the small towns she’s targeting on the way. Not if we want to stop her from rooting out our people in Austin. We need to beat her there.”
The thought of the mass of people she and her monsters would kill left a bad taste in my mouth. A taste of blood and ash.
She read my expression. “I know. I don’t like it either. But I can’t see another way, can you?”
With a sigh, I shook my head. “No. We have to focus on the bigger picture. Although, could we spare some sort of elite squad to send out to the towns?”
“We don’t know where she’ll hit other than that one near the army base. We don’t even have a list of the towns left intact. They tend to keep to themselves, not wanting anyone to know about them.”
I gnawed on my bottom lip, staring down at the lists we’d made. “Understandable. I want to know how she found out.”
“Probably her dragon shifts.”
“Right.” I thought of Aria, remembering she’d mentioned her brother was the monster leader in Austin. I didn’t envy her near future.
“I want to leave no later than the day after tomorrow. We need a day to prepare.”
“And give everyone time to recover from tonight.”
Summer snorted. “I shouldn’t have allowed it to get so big.”
“It was a good idea. It gave everyone something to fight harder for. It will give them hope.” Liv looked up from the book she still pored over, speaking for the first time in a while.
“That was my thought.”
I itched to leave right away, wanting to end it, but they were right. Especially when I remembered we’d be leaving Adele behind. She needed the memory of a celebration to hold onto, one not marred by our departure. Especially in case something happened to us. “How many are we bringing with us?”
“Everyone able to fight over the age of sixteen. I’m leaving a few to keep those who stay behind safe, but we need everyone we can manage.”
“How are we going to get all the way to Texas in such a large group without drawing notice?” Liv asked.
“I’m going to split everyone up in small squads, each squad taking a different route, leaving at different times.”
I raised a brow, impressed. “You’re good at this. What’d you want to be before?”
“I’ve never had a choice. I was always going to be this.”
Her words spoken in such a matter-of-fact tone saddened me. What it must have been like to never get to dream or hope for her future, to imagine becoming an astronaut or Food Network star or even an accountant. Bred from birth for battle and monsters and darkness.
The new world was doing its best to break us and she’d always lived in it. Her strength humbled me.
Summer gathered our notes. “I’m going to let the others know what we’ve figured out here. Get some sleep. You’re going to need it.”
She left, the door clicking shut behind her, leaving us with hope and fear vying for dominance. We had a mission, a real mission finally.
One which could get us all killed and the hope of peace dead along with us.
I held Adele close, breathing in and memorizing her little girl smell. My eyes closed so she wouldn’t see the desperate fear I’d never hug her again. She pressed her mouth against my ear. “I love you.”
Everything within me stilled. She’d spoken. She’d spoken to me.
I hugged her harder. “I love you too, little one. Take care of R2D2 for me and we’ll be back for you or someone will bring you to us when it’s safe.”
She nodded, her words spent on this wonderful parting gift. I handed her off to a woman who stayed behind to guard them.
Adele waved at us until we were out of sight. It was only then I let the sobs overtake me, glad I was huddled in the back of the van and not on my motorcycle yet where the tears could blind me.
Jackson’s supernatural hearing had picked up her words, and he rubbed my back while I cried, his own tears falling freely from his eyes as he told Liv what had happened. A brilliant smile overtook her face at the news and the three of us shared in the small joy the entire way down the mountain where we stopped and retrieved our bikes from the back of one of the trucks.
Jax hopped on the back of my bike this time, wrapping his arms around my waist and sitting much closer than necessary. I was happy to see Aria was in our squad, riding in the truck that carried our bikes. She sent me a rather Luna Lovegood-like vacant stare and wave.
Leaving the van behind, we took off towards Texas with our two bikes and two trucks and more weapons than soldiers.
We drove eight hours without a break, all of us racing for the wood line to relieve ourselves, stumbling with stiff limbs. I wanted nothing more than a double bacon cheeseburger and a nap. If for nothing else, we should bring about peace so the Burger Kings would reopen. Vampires didn’t like the taste of blood fused with fast food, so they’d shut them down.
They really were monsters.
I returned to the vehicles where Jax held out a stick of beef jerky. I grimaced, but ate it, marveling over how much I used to love it and now would give anything never to see a piece of dried meat again. Especially with the craving for a juicy cheeseburger torturing me.
Or a fresh, still-warm donut.
I almost broke into tears.
“What’s wrong?”
“I miss food.”
He grinned. “You don’t call this meat substance food?”
“No. And I don’t call your sprouts and berries food either.”
“I’m a Pegasus. Of course I don’t eat meat.”
“I wasn’t suggesting you should eat horse meat. Though I’m uncertain I’m not eating horse right now.”
He tickled my side. “You should go vegan.”
“Never. I will never join the dark side.”
“You are such a nerd.”
“I saw you cry over a dead Ewok so I don’t want to hear it.”
He grasped his chest and stumbled back a step. “You wound me. I would never do such a pathetic thing.”
I quirked my lips and shook my head, tossing the key to him. “Your turn to drive.”
He gaped at me, the keys resting in his open palm. “What? It’s a miracle you actually let me on the back of yours, and now you trust me to drive it?”
“I trust myself to stop you from doing anything stupid like wrecking my baby.”
“I vow to not take this honor lightly.” He bowed.
I shoved him with a chuckle. “Keep it up and I’ll make you ride with Liv or in the back of one of the trucks.”
He pressed a sweet kiss on my forehead that zinged down to my toes. “Come on, love. Ever
yone’s loading up.”
I threw my leg over the bike, scooting close to him, sharing his warmth. He reached back and squeezed my leg. “You can take a nap if you want. I’ll catch you if you start to fall.”
“Not happening.”
Olivia saluted me from her bike beside us, raising a brow at the switched positions. I shrugged, shamefaced. We wheeled out onto the road behind the trucks, exhaustion already weighing me down.
We drove another eight hours before we were forced to stop after the truck ran off the road and almost into a tree. Our rush and exhaustion threatened to kill us if we didn’t take a break.
A tunnel loomed ahead with large ledges on both sides of a railroad. Leaves littered the tracks, showing nothing had been run through there in a while. It seemed like a perfect place to stay, nice and secluded. The roar from the motorcycles was so loud it echoed up and down the tunnel.
Darkness embraced us, but our flashlights were beacons in the night as we set up camp. The concrete wouldn’t be a very comfortable bed, but if it rained, which it looked like might happen, it would keep us dry. I ran out into the trees and collected wood, wanting to get to it while it was still dry.
Aria shot me a cheerful salute as she passed to take her turn in getting an armful. Jax took the wood from me and we started a fire. The tunnel trapped the heat, so we were soon nice and toasty. I took my gloves, boots, and outer jacket off before curling up with Jax and Liv to sleep.
I woke to shadows dancing and leaping through the tunnel, darkness creeping ever closer. Arms tightened around me, giving me a fright. Memories flooded into my mind. Jax. I scooted closer to him, seeking warmth and comfort. Lips on the back on my neck had me sucking in a breath. Whispered words floated through the night as I slipped back off to sleep.
Aria woke me for last shift. I watched the dark night turn from black to gray until an explosion of beauty and colors drifted into the tunnel. The sun warmed my face, and I closed my eyes letting its scent fill me. Morning had such a lovely smell, especially after the rain. I stood and stretched, my muscles protesting from being in a cramped position for so long, my back aching and creaking. Something unseen in the night caught my eye.
Curious, I headed towards the opening, the fallen leaves crunching under my boots like walking on the bones of the dead. Reaching the edge, I left the cover of the tunnel and stopped and stared in amazement at the wall. Gorgeous graffiti covered it. Bright and colorful, sad and dark. Pictures of nasty things, beautiful things. The wall had been tattooed. Certain words stood out to me. Rage, help, art, truth, revolution, God, fight, silence, pray, light.
A phrase that resonated deep within me. “The shadows flee away.” I followed the wall, reading the thoughts and prayers of some, the anger of others. When had this been done? And by whom? With my eyes trained on the pictures, I almost killed myself stepping on it. It rattled loud across the concrete.
A bottle of spray paint. Figuring it was empty, I picked it up anyway.
It wasn’t.
I stood before the wall, shaking the can, staring at it in silence for several long minutes, not knowing what to do. What I wanted to say. Sad and angry at the same time, a line from T.S. Eliot flickered thorough my mind. I raised my arm, and the words appeared before me. “I will show you fear in a handful of dust.” Not wanting any of us to be forgotten, I added names. My parents, Liv’s parents, Alcott Black. Jeremy Engle. Adele Engle. Olivia Carmine, Jackson Holt, Monet Black. I hoped it wasn’t a stupid thing to do, but I hated the thought of us disappearing into the ether, never allowed to make our mark.
Returning to the camp, I woke everyone for a pathetic excuse for a breakfast. We hadn’t brought much food along with us, using the room for firepower.
I scraped every last morsel of beans from the can, then tilted it up and held it there as the dredges sludged into my mouth, my cracked lips straining. I stuck my fingers down inside, trying to get every bit and licked them clean. Still my stomach clenched and cramped with hunger. Judging from the looks of dissatisfaction on everyone else’s faces, they felt the same.
What I wouldn’t give for French fries. Or fresh and hot from the oven snickerdoodles. I shook my head and tried to think of something else. This kind of thinking would only make me miserable. Although desperate to stop, now it flooded my mind, it tortured me with images and even almost the smells of my favorite foods. Fried chicken, cake, a fresh, crunchy salad, buttery mashed potatoes. The list went on and on.
Liv frowned. “Are you okay? You look like you’re trying to do long division in your head.”
I shook my head, dropping the can to the ground with a clatter. “Trust me, you don’t wanna know. Please, distract me.”
“Uh—”
“Anything. Anything that comes to your mind.”
“Well, now I feel put on the spot. As soon as you said that my brain went fuzzy. Hold on. Um—trees, mayo, ginger, frogs, computers, red, socks, windows, bears, lamps, bed, toothpaste, chairs, house, pine, elephants, burps, guns, fire. Is that enough?”
I laughed. “Your brain is so strange. I meant tell me a story or think of something for us to talk about. Not word vomit.”
“Well, it worked didn’t it? We are talking about something.” She stood and slid on her jacket.
“It was working until you said that.”
“Sorry. What’s up anyway?”
I got to my feet with a groan. “Nothing. Just resigning myself to dreams of food.”
We were the third group to arrive at the town. Summer and her team already gorged themselves on barbecue in one of the town restaurants. The little log-like building was thick with fog from smoking brisket, chicken, pork. I almost fell over as the scent wrapped around me, making my stomach roar, demanding I feed it.
Jax paled and ran outside, returning to fresh air and his grass. Liv and I exchanged smirks and collapsed on one of the benches, moaning with every bite, every taste.
“How is this place still running?” I spoke around a mouthful of dripping brisket, not caring how gross I looked.
“They open once a week and feed the town in exchange for other goods. People bring their farm animals here to be smoked, giving up a share in return. It’s also their way of keeping community and taking care of each other.” Summer shoved a heaping spoonful of green beans into her mouth.
“How did the monsters miss so many towns?” Liv asked.
Summer shrugged. “It’s a huge country and a lot of these towns are out of the way, not even on regular maps. But this one’s proximity to Fort Hood makes it surprising they weren’t discovered.”
Summer’s girlfriend, Melody, chuckled. “I don’t really care how they stayed free while I’m eating this.”
I raised my glass of soda. “Hear hear.”
She clinked her cup against mine with a grin. It was amazing what a belly filled with delicious food did for our moods—what fellowship around a table did for morale.
I groaned. “I hope Tashia doesn’t show up soon, I’m so full the only thing I could handle is maybe barfing in her face.”
Uncomfortable, yet satisfied, nods of agreement bobbed the others’ heads. I stood to go check on Jax, who still hadn’t returned, regretting the decision as the mound of food settled in my stomach. I wasn’t able to eat so much anymore, my stomach smaller from the crappy apocalypse diet.
Jax faced the sun, letting it soak into his skin as he munched on a carrot. I snorted at the cliché. His eyes opened and met mine as he shot me his dazzling smile. I couldn’t help but return it, his eyes so bright and vibrant and mischievous. My chest tightened so hard I rubbed at it. He was so beautiful, it hurt.
He reached out his empty hand to brush my hair behind my shoulders, his skin soft against my neck. “You are exquisite. I can’t keep my hands off you.” He brought his mouth down on mine, the half-eaten carrot falling to the dirt as his hands clutched at my hips. How much time did we have before everyone else arrived?
The roar of engines answered me and we slid
apart, regretful smiles on our faces. Two trucks pulled up into the parking lot, ten people spilling from them. I grimaced. It must have been a long trip for them, packed in so tight. Malek was one of them, and he stretched and groaned, his muscles rippling.
Jax nudged me, faking a frown when he caught me eying the brown skin between Malek’s jeans and shirt. I shrugged and smirked. My pulse sped up, realizing this was the last group. It was time for us to set the trap. It was time for us to take down Tashia.
What I had been waiting so long for was at last within reach.
And I planned to savor every second.
We settled those living in the town at one of the churches, shoved in like sardines, but we hoped would be safely away from the line of fire. The rest of us, along with anyone who was willing and able to fight, found cover scattered around the town.
And we waited, taking turns on guard, catching slight snatches of sleep. I couldn’t nap, my body vibrating with nervous excitement, my eyes glued open, watching the horizon.
Jax had no problem curling up against the wall of the antique store we were in and dozing off. A soft smile tipped on my lips as I watched him, a shaft of fear for him spearing my chest. If I lost him or Liv, it would break me. I’d lost too much already to Tashia, and I’d never recover if she took more from me.
I wouldn’t let her.
She was mine.
I didn’t care about the others who had a score to settle with her. I wanted to be the one to snuff out her life, keeping the rest of the world safe from her poison.
Jax woke up and came over to stand by the window behind me. I leaned back into him, accepting the comfort he gave so freely. We caught sight of Malek circling the air, his scarlet and gold feathers bright against the faded blue sky.
The colors were duller out here compared to the lush greens and blues and purples from home. I missed my house buried in the woods, surrounded by flowers.
I missed my brother. He should be here with us, making his last stand at my side. I choked back the grief I’d been fighting for weeks. Once I took care of the sorceress, I could finally give into it. But not yet.
Dance of Ashes and Smoke (Age of Monsters Book 1) Page 18
